Tasting - Bee You Riesling '20

  

Name: Bee You Riesling
Variety: Riesling

Region:  Monterey County, California
Country: United States
Year: 2020
Price: $12

Winery Review: Fresh caviar lime and lemon aromas make for an electric nose on this bottling. It's slightly sweet on the sip, with stonefruit and citrus flavors zesting up the honeyed core.[1]

Wine Folly: An aromatic white variety that can produce white wines ranging in style from bone-dry to very sweet. Germany is the world’s most important producer of Riesling. Off-dry Riesling wines make a great pairing to spicy Indian and Asian cuisines and do excellently alongside duck, pork, bacon, shrimp, and crab.[2]

My Review: Sweet and as fragrant as spring honeysuckle, the Bee You Riesling beckons to be enjoyed on a cool summer night after a delightful meal. The body of this wine is thick and filling in it's own right so moderation would most likely be forthcoming and easy to balance. Though reviews mention lemon and lime aromas, I personally did not pick up on these notes but this was most likely was due to my inexperience but part of the fun of trying new things is growing as you practice your passions. 

Citations:

[1] M. Kettmann. "Bee You Riesling." wine-searcher.com. [Online]. Available: https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/bee+you+riesling+monterey+county+central+coast+california+usa#t3 [Accessed: Jan 29, 2023].

[2] M. Puckette and J. Hammack, Wine folly: The Essential Guide to Wine. New York: Avery, 2015.

Tasting - Provenance Vineyards Chardonnay '16

  

Name: Provenance Vineyards Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay

Region:  Carneros, California
Country: United States
Year: 2016
Price: $30

Winery Review: Chewy chardonnay, oaky and chewy on the palate, but cut just so with notes of lemon and grapefruit. Buttery vanilla notes endure well into the finish, however, leaving a somewhat cloying aftertaste that’s hard to shake.[1]

Wine Folly: One of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from sparkling Blanc de Blancs to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Chardonnay pairs best with subtle spices and flavors. For example, try matching it with creamy, buttery flavors and soft textures. Lobster is a winning match [2].

My Review: This Provenance chardonnay was floral and sweet with prominent citrus flavors such as lemon or orange zest. The lighter flavors were well balanced by a slight acidic bitterness and a hint of soft woody complexity. The wine was overall a pleasant experience however I did experience a slight tingly / burning sensation on first taste that I can't discern if was from some kind of spice or just a once off poor reaction on my part.

Citations:

[1] C. Null. "Review: Wines of Provenance, 2016 Vintage." drinkhacker.com. [Online]. Available: https://www.drinkhacker.com/2019/09/02/review-wines-of-provenance-2016-vintage/ [Accessed: Jan 29, 2023].

[2] M. Puckette and J. Hammack, Wine folly: The Essential Guide to Wine. New York: Avery, 2015.

Tasting - Boutinot El Viejo Del Valle Chardonnay

 

Name: Boutinot El Viejo Del Valle Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Valle de Maule
Country: Chile
Year: 2019
Price: $8

Winery Review: A Chilean Chardonnay won't taste like Napa Chardonnay. It is more similar to a Sauvignon Blanc but with more tropical fruit and apple-pear flavors. Given the heavy minerality and noticeable acidity, Chilean Chardonnay should pair nicely with dense fish dishes, white meats and possibly some scallops or lobster.[1]

Wine Folly: The cooler Costa areas is where you’ll find the best Chardonnay.  The most popular style is buttery from oak aging, and comes from Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys. The outer regions of Limarí and Aconcagua offer the most minerality and are uniquely salty [2].

My Review: Being late into the night and a few tastings of other wines having passed, this chardonnay remained as light as it's color in it's ability to drink. The light yellow in shade hinting at the sweet and honey like smell it imparted, with an ever so slight ethanol tinge. I found the El Viejo Del Valle chardonnay to have a sweet taste upfront with a rather bitter after taste, perhaps reflecting it's nature from it's name, as if interacting with an old man of a valley who is sweet and kind at first but is quick to turn bitter.

Citations:

[1] "Regional Style: Chilean Chardonnay," vivino.com, [Online]. Available: https://www.vivino.com/wine-styles/chilean-chardonnay [Accessed: Jan 22, 2023]

[2] M. Puckette and J. Hammack, Wine folly: The Essential Guide to Wine. New York: Avery, 2015.

Tasting - Bindi Sergardi La Boncia

Name: Bindi Sergardi La Boncia
Variety: Chianti
Region: Monteriggioni, Siena
Country: Italy
Year: 2021
Price: $30

Winery Review: Ruby red in color the wine has a full and intense fragrance with hints of grapefruit and red fruits which bring to mind cherries and raspberries. On the palate, the wine is smooth and well-balanced. The finish is characterized by gentle tannins and the persistent flavor of the grapes which make it so delicious and easy to drink. It is meant to be drunk young in order to appreciate its freshness and its bouquet.[1]

Wine Folly: The Classico designation means the wine comes from the historic boundaries of Chianti. Wines are primarily Sangiovese but also may contain Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet, and Merlot. The Riserva and Gran Selezione are the area’s finest wines and age 2 and 2.5 years respectively [2].

My Review: This wine had a very dark ruby red pigmentation. I thoroughly enjoyed the sweetness of this wine, it felt light on the tongue and had subtle berry tones. The smell was delightfully fruity and intoxicatingly sweet with the smell raspberries lingering in the air. I was pleasantly surprised but it's lack of woody flavors but wasn't quite overwhelmed by the dryness left in my mouth after enjoying the sweetness.

Citations:

[1] "Bindi Sergardi La Boncia Chianti 2021," Wine.com, [Online]. Available: https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/1678558187520538680/6547782994082854415?hl=en [Accessed: Jan 22, 2023]

[2] M. Puckette and J. Hammack, Wine folly: The Essential Guide to Wine. New York: Avery, 2015.

First Entry: a life of drinking

 Meet the writer

Vincent Snell

    Welcome, my name is Vincent Snell, my experience with deliberate consumption of wine to this point has been with the decisiveness to induce expedient inebriation. That is to say, wine was a means to get drunk and with general haste. There may have been the odd occasion of wine present for church, champagne for celebrations, or such similar "special" occasions but rarely was it something dwelled on and was more of an accessory to some other motive.

    With such prior experience with wine, then why would I bother to take a foray into an academic assessment of such topics. My interest was first peeked during travels abroad as a United States Marine Embassy Security Guard, where on occasion the Marines at the embassy would be invited to dinners with the ambassador or other diplomatic dignitaries. These dinners would regularly include wine as the choice beverage, which was quite different from the typical Marine diet of Beer, Whiskey, Tobacco, and energy drinks. This contrast captured the idea of class associations with wine in my mind and created a brief sense of resentment toward this class symbol. 

    My interest in wine became stifled for some time after that experience and it wouldn't be until 2020 during the COVID lockdowns in the US that I would turn my eye toward wine with any form of interest again. During the 2020 lockdowns or perhaps late in 2019, I began to gain an affinity for amateur mycology and all thing fungi related. My interest ranged the full gambit of fungal life and this includes the very fungi used to brew a lot of alcohols, Saccharomyces aka Brewer's yeast. This new world of fermentation and fungi renewed my passions in not only wine but all of the cultural aspects of cuisine and drink.

    This same passion is what led me to this course, Geography of Wine. I've already taken the Mysterious Mushrooms and Molds class provided at Virginia Tech and it seemed like a logical next step to delve deeper in to my new founded fermentation fascination by taking a course about the many different resulting products. What better product than wine, perhaps the oldest and most popular fermented product around the world.